


brother's keeper

by carefulren



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Brodinsons, Brothers, Flu, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Character, Sick Loki (Marvel), Sickfic, Tumblr Prompt, Whump, domestic life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 01:52:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13671807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carefulren/pseuds/carefulren
Summary: Finally able to live alone without constant supervision, Loki goes to a diner to meet Thor for lunch despite being very sick, and a worried Thor drags him to a fast pace clinic.(aka: the one where Loki gets a human flu for the first time)





	brother's keeper

It’s quiet in the diner, with only a few customers chatting with a waitress at the bar. Loki bypasses the looks he receives and stumbles toward a corner booth while pressing a gloved fist to his mouth to cough. He’s been feeling… off, for better lack of words. He’s familiar with human illnesses– he knows how vulnerable the human body is, yet he’s not one to get sick, not since he was a young boy. So, he’s not sure why he’s exhibiting symptoms that match being ill: cough, fever, chills, fatigue– the whole package. 

It’s unpleasant– waking feeling as if he hasn’t slept a wink, feeling chilled through despite multiple layers, struggling to breathe against a tight chest and barking coughs– but he’s unsure of the proper recovery measures; he’s not really sure of what he’s dealing with, in all honesty. He just knows he feels terrible, so much that he truly felt challenged to get out of bed and get dressed to meet for lunch with Thor. 

He’s been given the chance to live alone in a small apartment without constant supervision, and while the apartment is less than ideal, with no proper heating and horrible neighbors, it’s way better than being locked in a room in the Tower. He takes the small things when he can, if he’s to be stuck here indefinitely. 

“Sir?” 

Loki snaps a sharp glance toward the waitress standing at his booth, and she recoils slightly at his narrow gaze. 

“What?” He spits out, voice rough, weak– an utter annoyance. 

“I asked if you wanted to start with a drink?”

Before Loki can ask for a warm tea, the bell atop the entrance jingles, bringing with it a booming presence that has Loki’s shoulders sagging along a huff of a sigh. 

“Two coffees!” Thor shouts as he runs a hand through his damp hair to free clinging rain drops. He strides to the booth and offers the waitress a nod before sliding into the seat across Loki, smile flicking toward a frown as his eyes meet Loki’s sunken ones. 

“Brother, you don’t look well.” 

“I’m insulted,” Loki mutters flatly, voice catching against his throat until he’s coughing into the crook of his arm, over and over until tear spring against burning eyes. 

“You sound terrible!” 

Loki whips a dangerous gaze toward the waitress, who, for whatever reason, is still hovering, much to Loki’s complete annoyance. 

“Sounds like you’ve got that flu going around, darling.” 

The waitress is still talking, and Thor’s joined in, but Loki’s mind blocks out all sounds as he mentally flips through his knowledge of influenza. His symptoms match, but remedies are varying– some sources he remembers reading state to go to a doctor while others say store-bought medicine and rest should do the trick– it all depends on how poorly he’s feeling, and well, he’s really not feeling well at all. 

“Loki!” 

Loki jerks back when his vision returns to the present to see Thor crouched before him with a hand raised toward his face. He opens his mouth to speak, but he ends up smacking his lips closed when Thor’s hand presses to his forehead. 

“Brother, you are burning up!” 

Loki slaps Thor’s hand away with a huff that ends in a series of coughs that burn along trembling lungs. 

“You need a doctor!” 

“I need rest,” Loki argues back around coughs as he pushes on Thor’s shoulder to get him to move. “Yet, you’ve got me coming out– what are you doing?” 

Thor’s strong fingers wrap around Loki’s wrist, and Loki can’t get free as he’s pulled to his feet, no match against Thor’s strength. 

“We are going to a doctor. Banner’s out of country right now, but there’s a clinic a few blocks away.” 

“Thor, that’s not–” Loki tries, words falling short when Thor lets him go long enough to drape his own jacket over Loki’s trembling shoulders. 

“Thor–” 

“Let’s go,” Thor says, pressing a large hand to Loki’s back and guiding him out of the diner. “We will get you feeling well again soon.” 

Loki wants to argue, but the rain and icy wind whipping against him the second he steps outside has him clamping his mouth shut and clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering as Thor ushers him down the sidewalk. 

*****

“This is a fast pace clinic,” Loki mutters as he takes a seat on a small, plastic chair, arms crossed against a shiver as a cold rain drop slips down the back of his neck. 

“Yes,” Thor says, taking a seat beside Loki after checking him in. “It is quick.” 

“But is it efficient?” Loki mutters under his breath, waving a weak hand when Thor shoots him a questioning gaze. 

He zones out, watching as all of the stressed parents take sick children back when they are called, and at some point, his vision fades to black, only to come back in slow colors by someone gently calling out his name. 

“Loki?” 

He lifts his head, not having the energy to feel too embarrassed about using Thor’s shoulder as a pillow because he feels impossibly terrible. His entire body feels heavy, as if he’s chained to the floor by massive weights, and when he’s pulled to his feet, the room spins, and he coughs and coughs until he’s bent over, only remaining standing by a strong arm around his back. 

“Easy, brother,” Thor mutters as the doctor steps up with a frown. 

“Well, he’s certainly sick.” 

Loki could laugh if he didn’t feel as if he were going to pass out, but his coughing finally tampers off, so he takes that as a small plus as he’s ushered into a back exam room. 

Everything moves in slow waves– his temperature is taken, questions are asked that Thor answers for him, an icy stethoscope is pressed to his suddenly bare back. He can’t focus; he can only just barely catch onto worried voices, and it’s not until he’s being pulled back into the rain with Thor’s arm wrapped tightly around his shoulders that he utters out a whisper. 

“I can’t make it back.. I can’t– Walk?” His own words prove confusing against his hazy mind, but he doesn’t have long to ponder on this for his knees are giving out just as his mind goes frighteningly black. 

*****

It’s a cool cloth that pulls him back from a gripping, fitful level of unconsciousness. His eyes are heavy as he cracks them open to see Thor leaning over him with a pure look of worry, one that settles uncomfortably in Loki’s chest. 

“I wasn’t sure if you would ever wake again, brother.” 

Loki’s eyes flick behind Thor to the unfamiliar surroundings that take a concerning amount of time to clear in his head. 

“Why?” He starts, voice merely a whispered croak. “The tower?” 

“I spoke with Banner. We both agreed you would be more comfortable here until you recover. It’s warmer, safer.” 

“Banner?” Loki mutters, a breath of disbelief coating the single word. 

“Yes. Believe it or not, he was concerned to hear that you are ill. He told me to keep a close eye on you since we don’t know how a human illness does against our immune systems.” 

Loki only turns his face away to cough at this.

“He also told me that I should keep enough distance to not catch this, but I told him that would be impossible.” 

Loki’s body goes tense, and he turns a slow gaze to arch a single brow in silent question. 

“You are far too ill to leave alone,” Thor starts, lips curling up into a soft smile. “Plus you’ve used me as a pillow, so I’ve been more than exposed.” 

“Are you waiting for an apology?” Loki questions, voice sharp despite the pain against his throat. 

“No,” Thor answers, taking on a serious tone. “I just want you to get better. You terrified me when you fainted outside of the clinic.” 

Loki considers apologizing himself– he can’t remember much during the trip to the clinic, but Thor’s expression speaks volumes. He opens his mouth to talk, but Thor stops him with a raised hand. 

“It’s fine, Loki. There’s no need to say sorry. It’s nothing you can help.” 

Nodding, Loki can feel his eyes drooping as fatigue creeps back in. His eyes flutter closed, and he drifts off to a large hand squeezing his shoulder and a soft voice muttering “sleep well, brother.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I got this prompt for Loki with the human flu, and I instantly thought of him being all miserable in a fast pace clinic, and well... here we are.


End file.
